(Quebec) The Government of Quebec will not challenge the judgment which awarded $385,000 in April to former Premier Jean Charest for invasion of his privacy.
On the other hand, Quebec will contest Jean Charest’s request for an additional $715,000 for abuse of process.
The Attorney General confirmed Tuesday that the government would not attempt to overturn the decision handed down in early April by Superior Court Judge Gregory Moore, which ordered the state to pay $385,000 to Mr. Charest.
The former prime minister sued the state after details of the Mâchurer investigation — into Quebec Liberal Party funding — of UPAC leaked to the media in 2017.
In his decision, Judge Moore had then authorized the plaintiff to file an additional claim for abuse of process to obtain additional compensation and this is what Mr. Charest’s lawyers did at the beginning of May.
Mr. Charest is claiming more than $200,000 in punitive damages. He is also demanding $512,000 to pay his lawyers’ fees, as well as $5,000 in moral damages. The amount thus totals $717,000.
This request will continue to progress.
If he wins all the way, the former Liberal leader will therefore get almost a little over 1.1 million.
Mr. Charest had already indicated that this whole affair could have been settled amicably simply if the government had apologized to him.
In April, following Judge Moore’s decision, Prime Minister François Legault hinted that he was open to offering an apology to his predecessor.